Dr. Fu-Kuen Lin

Molecular Genetics Consultant

Dr. Fu-Kuen Lin is honored for his seminal achievements in biotechnology, which have dramatically improved the lives of millions of people suffering from the debilitating effects of anemia. A native of Taiwan, Lin accepted a research position in 1981 at the newly formed biotechnology company Applied Molecular Genetics, now known as Amgen. There, he led the team that identified and cloned the human gene responsible for the production of erythropoietin (EPO), the hormone that regulates red blood cell production in bone marrow. His discoveries paved the way for biotechnology’s first blockbuster medication, which effectively treats the severe anemia associated with kidney disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer and a host of other disorders, and helped transform Amgen from a small startup into the Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company that it is today. The inventor of seven U.S. patents and recipient of numerous awards and honors for his groundbreaking research, Lin retired from Amgen as director of biomedical sciences in 1998 and continues to serve as a consultant. He earned a doctorate in plant pathology from the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in 1971.